Worker Pinned in Elevator Shaft, Police Investigating Cause of Fatal Accident
UPDATE: 05/27/2015 10:51am Both the victim's employer and the nursing home where he was working have released statements on the accident in an elevator shaft that resulted in the death of a maintenance worker. Those statements have been posted below.
Original Story:
An elevator company worker died after being pinned in an elevator shaft yesterday morning.
Emergency responders, firefighters, and police responded to a call at the Iroquois Nursing Home in Onondaga, New York after receiving a call about a man pinned in an elevator shaft. The accident happened at approximately 9:07am on Tuesday, May 26, 2015.
Authorities say 53-year-old Christopher J. Hamelinck was pinned between a steel ladder mounted inside the elevator shaft and a support beam after an elevator, identified by police as elevator #2 and separate from the one on which he was working, lowered into the shaft, and onto the equipment below.
Hamelinck, an employee of the Otis Elevator Company, was at the nursing home performing maintenance work on another elevator, identified as elevator #1, that had not been working properly.
The nursing home is located at 4600 Southwood Heights Drive.
According to a written release from New York State Police, "The scene is consistent of an accidental death, with no signs of foul play."
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is assisting in the investigation, which is continuing at this time.
There is no word yet on when the elevators were last inspected.
Otis, which is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation, is the largest manufacturer of elevator systems in the world.
In a written release from the Iroquois Nursing Home Joanne LaCount-Radzyminski released the following statement on behalf of President and CEO Sonya Moshier:
"Iroquois Nursing Home regrets to confirm that there was an accident resulting in a fatality earlier today at the facility in Jamesville, NY. A service contractor was killed while performing maintenance repairs at the facility. We express our sincere condolences to the victim’s family, friends and colleagues. Our thoughts and prayers are with them during this very difficult time. First and foremost, our primary concern is the safety and well-being of our residents, workers and visitors. We are working closely with local authorities to determine the cause and determine what actions need to be taken. Counseling services are being offered on-site to any employees or residents who need assistance.”
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